Chicken feed composition containing fly ash for weight gain

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED CHICKEN FEED COMPOSITION MAY BE MADE BY SUBSTITUTING 1/2 TO 5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF FLY ASH FOR AN EQUAL WEIGHT OF CORN MEAL IN A CONVENTIONAL CORN MEAL TYPE FEED. THE IMPROVED FEED MAY BE RELATIVELY EASILY PELLETED AND REQUIRES A LOWER RATIO OF POUNDS OF FEED TO ACHIEVE A GIVEN DEGREE OF ANIMAL WEIGHT GAIN. THE FEED MAY ALSO CONTAIN A SMALL AMOUNT OF BINDER FOR THE FLY ASH TO REDUCE DUST.

United States Patent 3,657,423 CHICKEN FEED COMPOSITION CONTAINING FLY ASH FOR WEIGHT GAIN Harold Yacowitz, Piscataway, N.J., assignor to The Amhurgo Company, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa. No Drawing. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 706,686, Feb. 19, 1968. This application Nov. 18, 1970, Ser. No. 90,779

Int. Cl. A61k 27/00 U.S. Cl. 424-127 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This aplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application S.N. 706,686, filed Feb. 19, 1968, and now abandoned.

The present invention is directed to chicken feed, and more particularly to a chicken feed which includes from /2 to 5 weight percent of fly ash.

The economics of poultry raising are highly competitive, and the profit margins from poultry operations are very low. There has been a pronounced effort to reduce the cost of poultry feeds without an impairment of nutritional factors.

A problem in connection with conventional corn meal poultry feeds has been the difficulty of pelleting such feeds. Thus, the nature of such feeds has been such as to render high-speed pel'leting difficult, due to the tendency of the feeds to clog the pelleting machines.

This invention has as an object the provisions of a new and useful chicken feed.

This invention has an another object the provision of a chicken feed in which a lower ratio of pounds of feed is required to achieve a given degree of pounds of weight gain.

This invention has as still another object the provision of a chicken feed of the corn meal type which is relatively easy to pelletize using conventional pelleting equipment.

This invention has an another object the provision of a relatively low-cost chicken feed which is capable of producing relatively low ratios of pounds of feed per pound of weight gain in chickens.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The chicken feed composition of the present invention comprises a conventional corn meal type feed in which a proportionate amount of the corn meal is replaced with between about /2 to 5 weight percent (based on the total weight of the feed) of fly ash.

Fly ash is the very fine ash produced by the combustion of powdered coal with forced draft. It is recovered from flue gases by dust control equipment, such as electrostatic precipitators, like the Cottrell precipitator.

Patented Apr. 18, 1972 ice Because of the dusty nature of the fly ash used in the chicken feed composition of the present invention, it is contemplated that from about one-half to 2 weight percent of a non-toxic, highly viscous organic liquid (based on the weight of the fly ash) having a viscosity at least as great as that of propylene glycol may be used as a binder. Such binders may include propylene glycol itself, glhite mineral oil, melted saturated animal fat and the The composition of the fly ash from a given industrial installation will vary depending on the source of the coal and the conditions of combustion. Generally, the fly ashes which can be used in the chicken feed compositions of the present invention have the following analyses after In the chicken feed examples set forth below, the fly ash was derived from Boone County, West Virginia coal, and was from the stack of the Richmond, Virginia plant of the Virginia Coal and Iron Company. Its particle size after grinding by Virginia Coal and Iron Company was 99 weight percent through 20 mesh, with the typical screening sift test being:

Screen: Weight percent #20 0.54 #40 30.69 #60 47.40 2.57 #100 0.98 thru 100 pan 15.26

Percent recovery 97.44

A typical analysis of the foregoing fly ash was a 59.3 weight percent loss on ignition at 950 C. for one hour, with the following oxides being present in the ignited sample:

Oxide: Weight percent SiO 52.0 A1 0 26.7 =Fe O MgO 1.19 CaO 2.60 TiO 1.43 BaO 0.12 SrO 0.15 Na O 0.62 K 0 1.55

I have found that between about one and a half to two weight percent of fly ash in a conventional corn meal type feed produces optimal results. By conventional corn mean type feed is meant feeds having a corn meal 1 Additions of fly ash to the basal ration were made in place of an equal weight of yellow corn meal, e.g. in the examples set forth below, a 1 weight percent fiy ash feed contains 56.425 weight percent yellow corn meal, a 2 weight percent fiy ash feed contains 55.425 weight percent yellow corn meal, etc. Vitamin mixture contains:

base and containing conventional poultry feed nutrients 5 vitaminA U.S.P. units pcr pound 833,334 and additlves. Typical broiler rations usually contain 50% x gg l gg fi 1G6 667 or more corn meal. The optimum concentration is someg g D P3 an 0 mm 3.01 What dependent upon the time of year. Thus, during the xi i g acltivity T fl 1 0 g tam n nternationa un s per pound-.. 0 cold win er months, poultry tend to eat more than during Riboflavin per pound" the Summer in order to keep warm. In these months, the g gli e ch oride dm 106. 6 6;

w ox um m. er oun optimum concentration of fly ash is closer to about 1.5 Folio 52m lg. Ber Emma" 41.667 Weight percent, While in the summer months the optimum Zmc "percent" Q6608 Calculated nutrient composition of basal ration: Protein concentration of fly ash 1s closer to about 2 weight per- 502% 7 fat 835% 1 fiber 213%, nitrogen free extract 455% cent. is? 4i)S4%, calcii1n500.81%, total phosghorush O.5-8%br n1e t7a- 0 iza 1e energy 5 ca ories per poun met ionine .o This can be illustrated by the following experiments cystine 0.42%, n3 1.:s? %,tr to/ nane 0.23%, ar innie 1.45 isoleucinc va inc 1. 5%. which dealt Wlth the followmg basal chlck ranon' C gmposition of tra e mineral mixture-Ingredients: Co-

balt carbonate, copper oxide, iron carbonate, calcium iodate, Percent manganous oxlde, zinc oxide, limestone flour. Trace mineral mixture conflains: Cobalt 0.02%, copper 0.20%, iron 2.0%, Dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal (20% pIOlClIl) 0.5 iodine 0.12%, manganese 6.0%, zinc 0.01%, calcium 30%. Blood meal Vitamin mixture contains: Vitamin A palmitatc and (lactivated animal sterol and dl alpha tocopheryl acetate pro- Co n glut n l (60% t i 60 tected with food starch modified with butylated hydroxy toluene and ethoxyqnin (preservative); menadwne sodium Yellow C0111 meal 1 57.425 bisulfitte complelxlr ;1i liboglflvlltli snpplezinerigt; niaclin; ctalcium pantOt enate; c 0 me o ori e, v tam n 12 supp emen zinc com fermentanon solubles 0-625 25 oxide, folic acid: soybean hulls; corn cob fractions; certified Salt 0 25 color added; calcite.

'JPhe coccidiostat used was Amprol Plus, which is a dry Hydrolyzed vegetable and animal fat 5.0 inert cari'ielr containing Jlu(n4iformly2disperse1d5 theiewthiri 0.0125 we git percent of -amino- -n-propy -pyr m1 iny Flsh meal (65% protem) methy1)-2 picolinium hydrochloride and 0.0016 weight er- Limestona 4 cent of ethopabate-(methyl-4acctamido-2-ethoxy benzoate Meat and bone scrap (50% protein) 4 The fly ash, whose analysis is given at page 4 of the Dry fi h solubles (SARILX) 05 specification, was used to replace the yellow corn meal Soybean on meal (50% protein) 19 to the extent indicated below. Such fly ash contained 2 about 7 weight percent of carbon and 3.9 Weight percent Trace minerals 0.1 Vt t 3 of moisture before ignition.

1 l? um In the summer experiment set forth below, each pen (H25 contained about 30 chicks. The pens were randomly Methionine hydroxy analog, calcium 0.05 disposed in respect to each other so that no environmental eifect due to pen location would result. The chicks 100.000 used in the following experiments were broiler chickens Footnotes at top of next column. bred for meat:

SUMMER EXPERIMENT Percent 4weeks, 4weeks, fiwocks, 0-6weeks Pen mortalweight converweight conver- Tteatment number ity pounds sion pounds sion 1 Basal ration 2 0 1. 64 1. 63 2. 98 1. 77 D 8 6.5 1.56 1.67 2.83 1.86 20 3. 3 1. 53 l. 74 2. 76 1. 00 24 0 1. 51 1. 78 2. 74 1. 80

Average 1.56 1. 71 2. 83 1. 86

Average 1. 59 1. 68 2. 87 1. 82

1 Pounds of feed per pound of gain.

WINTER EXPERIMENT Control, Trcat- 1% ash (11-3 supplement),

mont A Treatment B 1.5% ash, Troatmont C 2.0% ash, Treatment D Weight, No.01 Weight, No. of Weight, No.01 Weight,

No.0ich1cks pounds F.E. chicks pounds RE. chicks pounds F.E. chicks pounds F.E. 1.51 1.88 31 1.58 1.70 31 1.62 1.75 29 1.61 1.86 1.55 1.75 20 1.58 1.77 31. 1.60 1.66 28 1.53 1.76 1.40 1.73 28 1.54 1.82 31 1.62 1.67 29 1.55 1.74 1.53 1.89 29 1.54 1.72 20 1.60 1.75 1. 53 1. 75 25 1. 53 1. 84 27 1. 60 l. 82 30 1. 55 1. 70 1.54 1.71 27 1.58 1.73 29 1.56 1.77

Average 1. 53 1. 79 1. 55 1. 77 1. 60 1. 73 1. 57 1. 76

1 Pounds of feed per pound of gain.

It is seen that during the summer the optimum weight percent of the fly ash is about 2.0 weight percent, whereas during the winter the optimum weight percent of the fly ash is about 1.5 weight percent. This is in keeping with the fact that during the winter the birds require a larger number of calories to keep warm.

The rate of growth and the ratio of pounds of feed per pound of gain in respect to the optimum weight percentages of fly ash is deemed to be statistically significant.

It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the amount of feed ingested by meat-bearing animals is largely dependent upon the energy content of the feed. Thus, by way of example, raising the fat level of the feed will convert the feed to high energy level feed. This will result in smaller amounts of feed being ingested. As a result, the weight percentage of the fly ash in such feed should be higher, i.e. as much as about weight percent.

Conversely, where the feed has a relatively low energy content level and is largely a carrier for vitamins, larger amounts of feed will be ingested. In such cases the fly ash content should be lower, i.e. as low as about /2 weight percent.

The chicken feeds of the present invention may be prepared by using conventional dry blending equipment to uniformly disperse the ash within the pulverized powdered feed. The resultant uniform blend may then be pelletized in conventional pelletizing machines.

By maintaining the fly ash particle size between 20 mesh and 200 mesh, I have determined that the chicken feed is relatively easy to pelletize using high-speed pelletizing machinery. Thus, the presence of the fly ash reduces the tendency of corn meal base chicken feeds to clog the pelleting machines, and serves to maintain such machines relatively clean.

To demonstrate the improved pelleting of corn meal base chicken feeds of the present invention containing a small percentage of fly ash, the following experiment was performed:

One weight percent of fly ash (20 pounds of fly ash per ton of corn meal base chicken feed) was uniformly dispersed in a corn meal ration of the following composition by substituting fly ash for an equal weight of corn:

Parts by weight Corn 2931.1 50% protein soybean meal 799.5 Corn gluten meal 350.0 Menhaden fish meal 306.9 Animal and vegetable fat 300.0 Meat and bone scrap 50% protein 121.8 High lysine supplement 45.0 Poultry by-products meal 25.0 Limestone 17.4 Alfalfa leaf meal 22% protein 15.8 Distillers grains and solubles 15.0 Vitamin premix 15.0 Salt 14.5 Trace mineral mixes 15.0 Defluorinated rock phosphate 10.0 Sodium propionate 7.5 Coccidiostat mix (Amprol Plus) 10.5

The fly ash had a sieve analysis after grinding approximately the same as that shown at page 3 of the specification and had the following composition analysis after ignition at 950 C. for one hour:

Oxide: Weight percent P 0 0.13 Si0 42.79 Fe O 14.07 A1 0 30.81 TiO 3.98 MgO 0.98 3.63 Na O 2.56 K 0 0.96 Difference undetermined 0.09

Comparative tests using the above corn meal base chicken feed composition with and without the fly ash added Were run on a Sprout Waldron pellet machine which produced cylindrical pellets of approximately inch diameter by inch height. The feed composition containing the 1 weight percent fly ash showed a 15 percent increase in the pelletization rate over the identical composition without the fly ash substituted. This is considered a sig nificant improvement since the pelletizing procedure of corn meal feed is a serious commercial problem which requires more time than the blending of the components making up the feed. Such pellets yield feed results similar to those shown in the above examples.

While I have referred to the feed of the present invention as chicken feed, because that is the conventional name for this type of feed, I believe that the chicken feeds of the present invention have utility with other forms of poultry, such as ducks and turkeys, and may be used with other meat-source animals, such as swine.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An easily pelletizable corn meal base chicken feed comprising a mixture of conventional poultry feed nutrients and additives and from about /2 to 5 weight percent of fly ash uniformly disposed in said feed, with said fly ash consisting essentially of particles in the 20* to 200 mesh size range, and with the fly ash having an analysis within the following range after being ignited at 950 C. for one hour:

Oxide: Weight percent SiO 25-80 A1 0 1.5-50 F6 0 MgO 0.5-3 CaO 0-6 TiO 0.5-4 BaO 0-1 SrO 0-1 S0 0-10 Na O 0-10 P 0; 0-5 K 0 0.5-4

2. A corn meal base chicken feed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fly ash concentration is between about 1 /2 and 2 weight percent.

3. A corn meal base chicken feed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conventional amount of corn meal present in the feed is reduced proportionately to the weight of fly ash added.

4. A corn meal base chicken feed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the fly ash concentration is between about 1 /2 and 2 weight percent.

5. A corn meal base chicken feed in accordance with claim 1 which includes about one half to two weight 7 8 percent based on the weight of the fiy ash of a non-toxic, OTHER REFERENCES viscous organic liquid selected from the group consisting Faber et at Bureau of Mines Information Circular of propylene glycol, white mineral oil and melted satu- 8348. p 49 rated animal fat, said organic liquid functioning as a billdfir for the y 5 ALBERT T. MEYERS, Primary Examiner References Cited A. J. ROBINSON, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS US. Cl X'R 1,399,206 12/1921 Gallagher 994 3,271,161 9/1966 Eshleman 99 4 99 2 4; 424 125 167 

